# How should the Pit be changed, if at all?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 19, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859 "2021-07-19T23:19:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 198

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**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859/198 "2021-07-22T16:36:00Z")

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> [@Skywatcher](#):
>
> The SDMB’s definition of “troll” has never been limited to “stirring the pot just for fun”. As far as TPTB are concerned, sincerity and trolling are not mutually exclusive.

You’re right in how the word “troll” is commonly used on the SDMB, but it is officially defined as deliberately causing trouble in the Pit rules

> [@Revised Forum Rules for the BBQ Pit: read this before posting](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revised-forum-rules-for-the-bbq-pit-read-this-before-posting/487209):
>
> The BBQ Pit is the forum for rants about the outside world or quarrels between posters - often the first turns into the second. Although the standards of discourse are looser than in the other forums, the Pit is NOT a free-for-all - you don’t have to be nice, but you do have to be reasonably civil. Please observe the following rules when posting in the Pit: Rants should be suitable for the Pit Cutesy, “I Pit puppies for being sooo cute!” non-Pittings are not welcome here. Put them in MPSIMS. R…

> [@](#):
>
> **No trolling**
> 
> By trolling, we mean posting of inflammatory comments solely to get a rise out of people. If we feel your primary goal as a poster is to make people mad, you’ll quickly find yourself on the road to banning. On the flip side, the fact that a poster consistently makes you mad doesn’t automatically make them a troll.

I think the common use of “troll” on the SDMB is closer to “someone who I strongly disagree with or dislike” rather than “someone who is deliberately trying to get a rise out of people.” But on a board like the SDMB, there will be many posters who say controversial things because we discuss controversial topics. That alone doesn’t make them a troll, but they often get labeled as a troll. And then it may become a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Someone says “XYZ” is a troll in the troll hunting thread, then all the troll hunters start seeing XYZ’s posts through the “is a troll” lens.

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